This is Your Life (Japanese Version Pressing) - A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio

WARNING with all the passion that I sometimes spew on this blog - This is going to be a long post with lots of photos from the very pretty Japanese-pressing version of the Ronnie James Dio Tribute called This Is Your Life which is arranged by Wendy Dio. 
The Japanese version comes on obi-wrapped at the corner digipak with a booklet that is different as has extra info on the two extra bands (how can I resist Dio Disciple's contribution for the Japanese version) and also another extra booklet written in Japanese plus lyrics in English. Its very nice packaging.
I am very very very excited and really cannot wait for this album release.
 I really adore Ronnie James Dio, its like his voice is in ears my whole life... to see him sings live is an amazing experience, I still got shivers of the memory of him singing "Falling Off The Edge Of The World".  It so bleedingly touching..

 I'm the Man On The Mountain, The Man On The Silver Mountain.

Whether whole bands or individual members of Scorpions, Rainbow, Dio, Motorhead, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Whitesnake etc etc, taking part is already amazing in this tribute but when Metallica is reported to be taking part in this tribute, I think the status of this tribute cd change into World News as Metallica is such a huge attraction world wide.

I have never been so excited about anything Metallica for many years. But when they say they got a problem even choosing a song from Rainbow Rising (which I think is one of my favourite all time albums, and maybe one of the most influential heavy rock and metal album till now) and they decide to choose a four songs medley of KILL THE KING (Kill The King was a little late during Rising studio recordings so that's why it end up on "LLRNR" album but its already played as the opening song during Rising Tour) /TAROT WOMAN/ STARGAZER/ LIGHT IN THE BLACK, I was so happy. 
I was never this happy with regards to Metallica since.... LOL!! maybe Bleeding Me S&M version LOL!! Its almost UNBELIEVABLE Metallica is going to play this four songs as a Medley on a Ronnie James Dio tribute album. OK enough about Metallica participation now let me hear each song and talk cock about it... 

Intro (some Tony Carey please.. LOL!!)

Ronnie James Dio voice whether for Rainbow, or Black Sabbath, or DIO is the soundtrack of my whole life, since I was a little ignorant vilage boy,  So I am very excited on this release with some of the big names of music.

My only wish was if RITCHIE BLACKMORE for once, just for once, throwing aside all feelings or whatever... do or play or contribute something too.
In addition, I think this is not only a tribute to Ronnie James Dio, but also to those humongous names in music like Ritchie Blackmore, Cozy Powell, Toni Iommi etc etc..

So on the above three photos, you have notes, stories, reflections on Ronnie and also this tribute cd written by Malcome Dome, Koh Sakai, Eddie Trunk, by musicians who participate in this tribute and also Japanese pressing booklet has the extra notes by Tim Ripper Owens on Dio Disciples participation.



ok lets begin to the songs that colours my whole life!!! I am listening to each song and then just write it on this blog...

1. Neon Knights - ANTHRAX. Joey Belladonna is simply fabulous. Love to see him play drums on YouTube with his own band playing clubs doing covers. I think at Ronnie's memorial service he sang Man On The Silver Mountain??
I hope one day Joey Belladonna will personally record a full album of Tribute To Journey. He is the best singer Journey never have. Neal Schon should have chosen Joey Belladonna to replace Steve Perry in Journey. 
2. Last In Line - TENACIOUS D. A heart-rendering start by Jack Black. IS THAT A RECORDER SOLO?!!. Very Rainbow Eyes'ish. I wish Jack Black had followed Ronnie Dio live version style last verse of "we may never!never!never!never!never!never!never!never! come home!!".. 
3. The Mob Rules - ADRENALINE MOB. Over the top. Well..my opinion anyway..
4. Rainbow In The Dark - COREY TAYLOR. Do I contradict myself if I say I like to see Stone Sour on YouTube but when I was at Donington Park and on the first night Slipknot was playing the main stage headlining First Day of Download Festival 2013,  and I decide to exit, go back to my lodge place to eat and sleep because I find them live B.O.R.I.N.G, Sorry..., anyway nice version this one.
5. Straight Through The Heart - HALESTORM. Rocking female voice!!. Love this version. OK, I got to take note to surf the YouTube and check out this Halestorm band more. "RELEASE THE HOUNDS!!!" I really love this version on second listen now!!
6. Starstruck - MOTORHEAD with SAXON'S BIFF BYFORD. Of course a 100% like for this version.
7. Temple Of The King - SCORPIONS. I am so scared to listen to this version. As a small village boy, before I discovered this techno trance breakdancers group called Iron Maiden, it was the Scorpions and Rainbow which were my dosage of introduction to the wonderful magical world of music.
So I was listening to this and I was like just gazing away... Scorpions performing Temple Of The King... WHO COULD HAVE IMAGINE THAT???

8. Egypt (The Chains Are On) - DORO. Why oh Why?? I love this Doro version but its a very old cover version!!. Ok maybe not many people have heard of this song thru all these years but Doro should still sing a new song. I would like to listen to Naked In The Rain by Doro version! Now imagine that!!
9. Holy Diver - KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - Another old one released a few years back. Its nice to re-listen to this version.
10. Catch The Rainbow - GLENN HUGHES, craig goldy, rudy sarzo, scott warren, simon wright (basically lineup of Dio Disciples band). Its so Romantic!! This song has always been so Romantic. Even when OPETH plays this song live, and I watch it on YouTube for me its still so romantic LOL!!!
Anyway, the start of this song, its the intro of As Long As Its Not About Love from Magica. Craig Goldy's album anyway.
11. I - JIMMY BAIN/ROWAN ROBERTSON/Oni Logan/Brian Tich - Jimmy Bain plays with RJD in Rainbow and Dio, Rowan Robertson is introduced in Locked Up The Wolves. This is one of my most favourite songs on this tribute cd on the first listen.

12. Man On The Silver Mountain - ROB HALFORD/doug aldrich,vinny appice, jeff pilson, scott warren  - TOTAL HAPPINESS! I am smiling from ear to ear. Exciting!! the way this song was meant to be.
13. Rising Medley (A Light In The Black/ Tarot Woman/ Stargazer/ Kill The King) - METALLICA. NINE-MINUTES-OF-HEAVY-METAL-HEAVEN!!!. Oh My Goodness, its beyond my expectation!! Everything is so perfect, LOL!!! This is James best singing since ...AJFA!!! "oohh I see his face!!" haha, James will never be Ronnie but he is still damn marvellous here! hahaha.... Is there a video for this recording...?? OOHHH!!! Kill The King is ROCKING!!!! This is the Metallica that I so love last time!! Fuck I am typing this as I am listening, and now they revert back to Light In The Black... SURPRISE!!! AWESOME!!!!!!!! and ooohhh what a dramatic Kill The King ending!! What a full of twist medley!!

Ok, I don't really follow Metallica's current developments, yes just saw them last year though left before Seek And Destroy so there is still public transport LOL!!, and yes like some of you am also eagerly waiting for the coming Helsinki show bootleg just for the historic Frayed End Of Sanity request, but listening to this... I am so happy. Listening to this Medley, I got to say I love Lars, James, Kirk and even Rick?Rob?? or John or something?? the bassist HAHAHA. I am so happy!! ok listen to it one more time....WOOHOOO!!!
14. This Is Your Life - \m/   \m/ - I dont really understand the 90s trendy industrial revolution of Angry Machine album LOL!!!, even till now. But this is the last song on that album. Ronnie and just a piano. This is a very sad song. A very poignant song. Yes, if my wishes, if my dreams have been an eagle, how would I fly?? Fuck I had surely fly to outer space with the wishes and dreams I had!! LOL!!. Never mind, I am still happy with my shares in life. I am a Muslim, I believe in what God has for me,  and this is my life... though I just got to keep on trying my best to catapult onwards and onwards and onwards!! and let it be Magical....!!!
15. Heaven And Hell - STRYPER - The most holy heaven and unholy hell choices for both band and song LOL!!! A nice cover..
16. Stand Up And Shout - DIO DISCIPLES - Craig Goldy is in and out of Dio thru the years so its nice to listen to him with Dio Disciples with Dio's final line-up plus some well-known singers.

OK end of the album, and back to the real world LOL!.
I have completed listening, this album will be on my portable music player for quite some time to accompany me while walking and taking public transport.

ALL IN ALL, this is very very very nice tribute album. I really really love it.

p.s - Maybe one day I will take a photo of the collection of CDs that I have which are Tributes to Rainbow/Dio. The Germans and Japanese ones are so amazing... 
oohh and they dare to perform Rainbow Eyes these Germans and Japanese rockers!! LOL!! But I really like the voice of the speed-up Ritchie Blackmore's wife singing this song on one of Blackmore's Night album too although she will never ever be as good as Ronnie James Dio version. 
Its so bitter sweet song...a heartbreaking song that fits Ronnie's voice completely... ok I will stop now.